In the dictation/transcription art, two types of central dictation/transcription systems have been developed. In endless loop tape systems, such as the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,790, separate transducers are provided for the dictating and transcribing persons to permit the dictating person to record and review dictation recorded on the medium at the same time as the transcribing person is listening to dictation recorded at a different location on the same medium.
The other type of known central dictation system utilizes discrete recording media, such as tape cassettes. In the central cassette changer system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,354, the cassette changer substitutes a fresh cassette for recording either automatically when the previous cassette is completely used, or when the dictating person causes control circuitry to substitute a fresh cassette for a cassette that has been partially used. In prior art central cassette changer systems, recorded cassettes have been manually carried to transcriptionists for transcription of the dictation recorded thereon.
Thus, central cassette changer systems have lacked the advantage of simultaneous recording and transcribing without manual intervention in the system, as is the case in endless loop systems. On the other hand, endless loop systems do not have the versatility for determining the order of transcription that is inherent in prior art central cassette changer systems. For example, a high priority unit of dictation can be manually dictated on a separate cassette which can be manually retrieved from the system and transcribed before cassettes that were recorded earlier. A system for ejecting cassettes holding priority dictation into a special location is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,685.